Date: Thu, 08 Apr 2004 23:41:26 -0400
From: Peter Orion
Subject: Blue Dragon - The Orion Transcripts - pt2
Thank you to everybody who has written to me. Your encouragement and
friendship exceeds my expectations by about a million times.
This story is fictious. NOne of the characters or situations are intended to
represent any real life character or situation. This is a fairy tail that
came to me over many rough nights. This story contains sexual acts and/or
sexual inuendo. If you find this offensive, leave now. I have no desire to
offend you.
Blue Dragon -- The Orion Transcripts, part 2
I don't know how old I was by human standards, it just seemed like I had
always been here in this place. When I was younger, time didn't seem
important, it just went on endlessly. Centuries passed without measure. I
still have fond memories of growing up in the tree limbs with creatures of
the wood or the air. I do remember that we called it year 1 when the dome
was complete. Suddenly it became important to put a number on the passing of
time. (???)
The great domed city was hailed as an architectural masterpiece. The idea
was to consolidate all the living spaces to provide security and so that we
could preserve the wild lands for the future of our race. Honestly, it
seemed a little silly to me. Why in Nequii would we want to be locked up
under a dome? I only moved here to try something different and it seemed
liked everybody was doing it. The longer I stayed here the more I regretted
my decision to do so.
It was all the Whitakers doing if you asked me. Things were just fine before
we had domed cities and rail systems. If anybody had asked me I'd have told
them to leave paradise alone. If they'd asked me I would have pointed out to
them how the Whitaker always seemed to know what's best for everybody, only
it always seemed that the best for everybody was whatever he thought it
ought to be, regardless of how ridiculous, self-centered or damaging. Some
folks don't know when they've got a good thing.
In the forest, you ate, you laughed, you rested, you played, you found food
and ate again ... life was an ongoing parade of wonder and adventure. The city
seemed to take away from that spirit. With the city came responsibility.
"Things" need to be maintained and operated. Suddenly we needed taxes and
revenues.
Of course, nobody did ask me. By the time I began to realize how important
it was to speak up and be heard, it was too dangerous to speak up about
anything.
By the year 10 we had our first government and by 50 we had a "security
force". By 100 we had basic rules of conduct defined and scattered
throughout parchments that could have filled a library. By 250, the "Minimum
Contribution to Society" regulation was created.
The Minimum Contribution to Society regulation said that all sentient
residents of Nequii must provide free service to upkeep the city and that
they were to freely volunteer services to the Whitaker as he saw fit.
Initially the regulation didn't say what exactly would happen if someone
choose not to contribute, but as time went on more rules were added that
specified punishments for those who disagreed.
Most of the time, punishments were simple, organize this, clean-up that.
Occasionally, punishment was a bit more unusual though. If someone should
ever get it into their heads that something was fundamentally wrong with our
society, they were summoned before the Whitaker. Some of my oldest and
dearest friends went to see him. Some of them were already old when I had my
first thoughts. They were thrilled that he was going to give them an
opportunity to be heard and rushed to the chambers. Some of them disappeared
without a trace. Others were never quite the same. "Don't worry, the
Whitaker will take care of everything" they'd tell me.
Early on, when government meetings began, they were organizational. People
wanted to know what our next great accomplishment would be. By the year 400,
they were mostly rituals; new-comers would be brought before the Whitaker
and made into members of our society.
==========
The year was 477.
For the first time in many years, I decided to attend one of the government
meetings, so I could see first hand what was going on and become enlightened
as to the plans of our great society.
Thousands were packed into the arena, which was built in a semi-circle with
an open ceiling and made of a marble quarry stone. You could enter the
seating area from a door that led to the outside, or , you could enter from
below and walk your way passed the many rows of seats until you reached your
assigned seat. ". The chambers were decorated in a breathtaking combination
of Crystal, with chrome highlights. Whoever chose this décor sure liked the
sparkling, diamond like appearance of crystal. The marble showed through the
crystalline chairs as if they were illusions and not really there at all.
"All those who have business with the Nequii or the Whitaker stand up and be
noticed" the Sergeant-at-arms would call.
A group of 8 were led out on to the floor of the chambers. They were dressed
in flowing gowns with a colored robe over their shoulders and a silver band
worn over their right shoulder. One by one their names were called and they
took one of the Crystal seats to the right of the podium.
"Marendai-Mohaq of the woodman"
"Nasandre-Mohaq of the woodman"
"Delmar-Orion of the sky"
"Shedrify-Aquin from beyond the border into the sea"
"Nesreck-Mohaq of the woodman"
"Vety-Orion of the sky"
"Mikos-Orion of the sky"
"Maraqq-Aquin from beyond the border into the sea"
"Our society calls on all, to work together for the common good,. to join
with others, to put aside petty self interests. Those who would join our
society must be prepared to sacrifice themselves to the greater good when
needed" the sergeant called.
"Oh my People, lower your heads and give thought to the many things you have
to be thankful for" he went on. The room fell silent while people quietly
mediated. I wasn't exactly sure but it appeared that the intent at this
point was to marvel at `The Wonders of Whitaker'. I could barely keep from
breaking the silence of the moment by laughing out loud. I managed to
contain myself to a few quiet giggles and chuckles.
"Oh my People, Whitaker is among us, let us rejoice and be glad"
The crowd jumped to their feet screaming the praises of Whitaker. "Save me"
"I believe in you" "Bless us all" were the screams I heard as Whitaker came
from behind a curtain and moved up to the podium, preparing to begin
whatever speech was expected to come next. He waved to the crowd and they
seemed to go even crazier, if that's possible. "See ME Whitaker" "Touch ME
Whitaker" "Let us share in your goodness".
It was obvious to me that this was some sort of ritual and that it had been
done many times before. Everybody seemed to know what would come next at all
times. I wasn't laughing anymore. I could feel a sick knot forming in my
stomach. This was no longer a rational leadership looking out for the common
good. This was fanaticism. Time had erased the reasons for coming together
and left a twisted, distorted reality in it's place .
A quiet, rhythmic drum beat began to play in my head. I'm not really sure
where it came from. It was not so loud as to interfere with the rest of the
proceedings, but just loud enough to be noticed. So far these activities
were a shock to me if not enlightening. This was a government meeting?
Whitaker began to speak in an overly dramatic voice. "In the time before
time there was chaos. The three tribes could not have known what is was to
be of the others. We were alone. And in our solidary existence all that we
sought was sustenance of our own selves never bothering with the needs and
desires of the others.
"THAT'S RIGHT, uh huh, touch me Whitaker, touch me" the person next to me
said loudly. This crowd was carrying on as if they were all intoxicated.
"My friends, nay my companions, good fellows who have traveled beside me, we
are near our goal! Our population has grown to the point that we no longer
need to concern ourselves with mere sustenance. Soon we will feast on the
fruits of 500 years of effort!"
The crowd went into a frenzy. Jumping to their feet and cheering at the
amazing accomplishments of the Whitaker. The sound of the drums became
louder and more demanding of attention.
Frankly, I couldn't see what they were all so excited about, they all did
the work of building things not him. What the heck was with the line about
`the feast'" What feast?
The crowd finally settled down into their seats again.
"Today we welcome these new servants of the great society in among us."
The lights dimmed slightly.
"Do the Mohaq approve of these new-comers. Will they become one with the
Nequii?" Whitaker yelled at the crowd while pointing at the new-comers.
The Mohaq began chanting in a low guttural hum that echoed through-out the
Arena. The room began to sway. The situation was becoming surreal. The
perpetual pounding of the drums, the pulsating sound of the chant was
beginning to consume my every thought.
"Do the Aquin approve of these new comers? Will they become one with the
Nequii?"
Now the Aquin began a chant. Their chant was a more musical, more haunting.
The drums were now beating at a nearly frenzied state. The sway was becoming
less of a group thing and more of an individual expression. People rolled
their heads around, their hair rolling in the opposite direction of their
shoulders and mid-sections.
Some of the `new-comers' fell to the floor of the chambers, their bodies
writhing, twisting on the floor in an act that I would describe as depicting
pain and agony as well as delight.
My heart raced and my breath was labored. Blood coursed thru my veins
feeling like pure energy. I felt like I could do anything at that moment. At
that moment, I felt like I would sell my soul to make sure this would never
stop. Some people around the arena screamed and collapsed into chairs. They
seemed to want to end this prematurely get release from this experience.
"Do the Orion approve of these new-comers? Will they become one with the
Nequii?"
Now the Orion chanted along with everyone else. Whitaker raised his arms and
a blinding flash of light filled the room. When my eyes cleared he was
enveloped in a charge of static energy that seemed to come to him from
everyone else in the room. It was as if he were absorbing them or perhaps
some part of them. Tens of thousand of tiny glowing balls of light floated
throughout the room.
This was too much. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide my face and cover my
ears but such a thing would have been impossible. This was a drug like no
other. The drums, the chant, the bodies moving against each other, it
completely overhelmed all sensibilities. Sweat oozed from every pore. The
rest of the new-comers fell to the floor and began moving like the other
did, their faces etched with deep lines, there jaws dropped open and their
backs arched up off the floor.
The rest of the crowd began to scream and collapse into their chairs
The lights went dim and the crowd went silent. The Whitaker left the
chambers.
=============
Gradually, things became normal again. I became more aware of my
surroundings. People I'd known for centuries greeted me on our way out.
"Glad to see you here Peter!" "You've been away too long Peter!" "How ya'
doin' Peter"
I responded with my normal cheery smile, "I'm glad to be here. Boy did I
have that Whitaker all wrong! He's really doing a great job don't you think?
I will attend more meetings in the future, you can count on that."
Then the eight `new comers' came thru the crowd. I praised them for their
decision to join us and ... wait a minute, "What's wrong with their eyes?" I
thought to myself. They were devoid of any color almost monstrous. They were
as if all the life had been drained out of them,
I looked around me. Most of the people still mulling about the Arena, had
that same look in their eyes, a look of complete loss of any will or
purpose. "These people are addicts!" I realized. "They'll do whatever
Whitaker tells them so long as he'll `touch' them again, and again, and
again."
I thought that there was nothing I could do for these people. I had to save
myself. I went home and prepared for a long trip back to the forest.
=================
That's it for this evening.
As before I'd like to know how you feel about my tale. I know that this part
may seem different from the first; as though it was from a different story
then the first part. Trust me...it all comes together.
Pete.
Bd_POrion@hotmail.com